Common household dust may be an important source of a potentially
dangerous class of chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers,
U.S. researchers say. The team at the National Institute of Standards
and Technology and the Environmental Protection Agency surveyed 17
U.S. homes and found high concentrations of PBDEs in household dust,
ranging from 700 to 30,100 nanograms per gram. Researchers analyzed
both dust from floors and clothes dryer lint for 22 variants of
commercial PBDEs and found them in every sample. PBDEs - used in
consumer products as flame retardants - can accumulate in human
blood, fat tissue and breast milk.

* Reduce Stroke Risk

To reduce your risk of stroke, keep green and yellow in mind. Eating
a variety of fruits and vegetables is important for good health.
However, green and yellow veggies may be particularly good for
reducing stroke risk. Daily intake of green and yellow vegetables was
associated with a 26% reduction in the risk of death from stroke,
compared to eating the veggies once or fewer times per week.

* Tips For Protecting Ankles

Icy roads make for injured feet and ankles, which should be treated
with ice, rest, and a visit to the doctor, doctors say. "When the
thermometer dives below freezing, the office fills up with patients
who have injured their ankles and do not know if they have suffered
sprains or fractures," said Kris DiNucci, spokesman for the American
College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Applying ice and elevating the
leg help reduce pain and swelling around the joint, he advises. The
old adage that if you can walk on it, it is not broken does not
always hold true, and an evaluation by a podiatric food and ankle
surgeon is recommended to set the sprains apart from the fractures,
he says. Injury-preventing tips include: keep areas around outside
doorways well lit so ice patches are visible, wear shoes or boots
with traction soles, check for slippery spots before getting out of
the car, avoid high-heeled shoes, and stretch and warm up before
participating in sports.

* Fit For Life

A study of 9,925 women by a Texas research group concludes that even
though excess weight can shorten longevity, physical fitness may have
a more significant effect. Using treadmill tests to determine the
fitness levels of the subjects (with an average age of 43 years), the
researchers tracked them for 11 years. They then compared the fitness
levels of those who had died during that time period. They found that
the women in the lowest of the three fitness groups died (of any
cause) twice as often as those in either of the other two groups. The
women judged to be "moderately fit" had been able to walk two miles
in less than 40 minutes, three times a week.

* Portable and Space Heaters Danger

Keep space heaters at least three feet (one meter) away from anything
combustible, including wallpaper, bedding, clothing, pets, and
people. Never leave space heaters operating when you are not in the
room or when you go to bed. Do not leave children or pets unattended
with space heaters and be sure everyone knows that drying clothing
over space heaters is a major fire hazard.

* Tea for Strong Bones

Research from Taiwan suggests that tea helps maintain bone density.
Just over 1,000 subjects were questioned about their tea-drinking
habits, and the results were compared to bone-density measurements.
Those who habitually consumed an average of two cups of black, green,
or oolong tea over the past 10 years showed six-percent-higher bone
density than those who rarely drank tea. The researchers think that
the fluoride and flavonoid content of tea is responsible. It also
appeared that the regularity of tea consumption, not necessarily the
quantity, was more important.